The Dragon and the Moon
by InkBlossoms
Summary: My submissions for Zutara week 2013. Calor, Euphoria, Voices, Gravity, Bound, Soothe, and Spark.
1. Calor

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar; the Last Airbender or any of the characters below. Happy Zutara week, everyone! This is a modern AU.**

"Calor," Katara said absentmindedly, "is a word that describes you well."

"Is that even English?" Zuko asked, looking up from his phone.

"No, Spanish," Katara answered.

"What does it mean?

"I don't feel like telling you."

"But you're thinking about it, just tell me." Zuko began to get annoyed.

"Nope," Katara smiled.

"Fine, I'll just search it up," Zuko pressed his dictionary app.

Katara reached for his phone and snatched it away, holding it as far from him as she could. Zuko grabbed Katara's tablet and held it high. He had trouble searching up the word with Katara jumping, trying to reach her device.

"HEAT! That's what it means!" Zuko shouted, pleased with himself.

Trying to get her tablet back, she shoved Zuko onto the floor and he took her down with him, causing both of them to fall onto the floor.

Zuko looked down at Katara and spoke.

"I bet I know why you think calor describes me," he whispered before leaning for a kiss.

"GUYS! NOT IN MY HOUSE!" Sokka yelled in horror as he saw them on the floor, "GO TO ZUKO'S HOUSE OR SOMETHING, JUST NOT HERE!"

"Fine," Katara said, standing and dusting herself off ,"Zuko, let's go to your house."


	2. Euphoria

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar; the Last Airbender or any of the characters below. Flashbacks are in italics. **

In hindsight, Zuko really shouldn't have gone to the South Pole with Katara, and he felt really bad for bringing Azula along with him, but Katara's polarbear-dog eyes could convince Sokka to stop eating meat

* * *

_"We really should let our families meet each other. There's going to be a winter solstice celebration at the South Pole, we should go!"_

_"Sure. Wait, family?"_

_"Uh, just Azula. We'll just keep Ozai here."_

_"Are you sure bringing Azula is a good idea?"_

_"You said she was getting better, right? Family is a big thing in the Southern Water Tribe."_

_"Fine," Zuko grumbled_

* * *

He felt really bad for bringing Azula with him, but he was really appreciating the fact that he didn't have to keep the fire going by himself, especially in his weakened state.

* * *

_"I don't feel so good," Zuko complained._

_"I agree with Zuzu. When is the sun coming back, again?" Azula asked._

_"In about twelve hours," Katara replied cheerfully, puzzled at the looks the siblings were giving her._

_"You do know we get our power from the sun, 'Tara?"_

_"It shouldn't be too much of a problem, right?" Katara asked just as Zuko collapsed._

_"It is that much of a problem," Azula glared, looking on the verge of joining Zuko on the ground._

* * *

"You and your stupid girlfriend," Azula groaned as she added flames to the fire they were huddled around.

"She's not stupid!" Zuko defended Katara with his teeth chattering.

"She isn't even here to help us keep the fire warm!"

"Katara went to get us a cure!"

"Helping to keep to fire going is a good cure!"

"Whatever, I'm just going to take a nap," Zuko said, too cold to argue. He went over to the wall to sleep.

Azula shivered and heard footsteps coming closer.

"Hey, why is that flame blue?" Sokka wondered aloud as he walked into the igloo he and Suki shared.

"Kind of reminds me of-" the figure lifted up her face, "AZULA!" Suki shouted, getting her fans ready for combat.

"Stupid water tribe, stupid Zuko and his girlfriend-," Azula mumbled before walking over to where Zuko slept and poking him.

"What?" Zuko asked, groggy.

"Zuko!" Sokka yelled, "Don't worry! We're here to save you from your crazy sister!"

"Excuse me," Azula snapped, "did you just call me crazy?!"

"Cause you are!" Sokka taunted, seeing that Azula too weak to shoot him with lightning. Hopefully.

"Sokka, stop accusing Azula and go do something useful! Like get some firewood!" Zuko groaned.

"That's it Suki, go get Katara, I'll make sure Azula doesn't hurt Zuko. Tell her that Zuko is being delusional."

Suki looked at him questioningly, but complied. Sokka went to stand between Azula and Zuko.

"Okay, Zuko, just stay behind me," Sokka said, "you're going to be alright. Unless you have full moon fever. Then you'll probably die," he looked at Zuko and started counting the symptoms Zuko was showing. Delusion, irateness, pale complexion, drowsiness...

"Oh, for Agni's sake," Zuko rolled his eyes and used the last of his strength to pull Sokka's feet down.

"Your turn to light the fire," Azula said lazily.

"But I just got rid of Sokka," Zuko complained.

"You did not get rid of me!" Sokka jumped up and looked ready to knock both of them out until Katara came in.

"Sokka, are you exciting my patients?" Katara asked, walking beside Suki.

"Azula's your patient?" Sokka asked in disbelief.

"Yes," Katara pushed her brother aside and walked to Zuko.

"What is this?" Zuko asked, wrinkling his nose, "it smells awful!"

"Stewed sea prunes, I had to walk all the way to Ummi's igloo to get it, so you better drink up!"

Azula laughed at the comical expression on Zuko's face.

"You have to drink it too," Katara said to Azula.

Zuko, sipping his disgusting sea prunes, watching Azula about to retch, seeing Sokka regard both of them with suspicion, decided that he should stay away from anything close to the Southern Water Tribe. Then he remembered Katara's face, the picture of euphoria, when they docked at her tribe. Maybe it was worth it for that smile.


	3. Voices

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar; the Last Airbender or any of the characters below.**

_"Please father, I only had the Fire Nation's best interests at heart!"_

_"Rise up and fight for your honour!" A familiar voice roared._

_The boy at his father's feat merely trembled._

_"You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher!"_

* * *

Zuko woke in a sweat to find Katara trying to calm him down.

"The Agni Kai again?" she asked in a soothing voice.

"Yeah, but it was different. I was in the Agni Kai, but I wasn't the one begging for forgiveness," Zuko replied.

Katara held her breath, hoping he wouldn't say what she thought he would.

"Roku was the one on the ground. I was the one who scarred him," he collapsed into his wife's shoulders, "What if it actually happens? What if he angers me so badly-" Zuko sobbed.

"Zuko, that's not going to happen. You're a different person than your father." Katara whispered into his ear, trying to calm him.

"The voices were so real, I could feel the fire blazing on my hand."

Katara sighed. The nightmares were getting more realistic every night.


	4. Gravity

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or any of the characters below **

"Aang, I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation!" Zuko yelled.

"Why can't I kiss Katara? You kissed Mai!" Aang shouted.

"Because I didn't have to master all four elements and defeat the firelord within two weeks!" Zuko answered, seething.

"This isn't fair!" Aang looked ready to open his glider and fly away.

"Twinkletoes, quit your whining and get to the earthbending field," Toph demanded, seeming to appear out of nowhere and separating their argument.

"Fine."

Once he left, Toph asked Zuko, "Is the comet coming the only reason?"

"I guess not," Zuko sighed, "We weren't good at keeping the secret?"

"I think I'm the only one who knows. Possibly Suki too. But don't you think that was a bit hypocritical? Don't you understand the gravity of the situation?"

"It's not affecting my state of mind," he insisted.

"Really? Because I think it is. How much are you willing to give to keep Katara safe?"

"My life." Zuko said without hesitation.

"You aren't lying."


	5. Bound

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or any of the characters below**

Unbeknownst to them, the spirits had bound Katara and Zuko together. At first it had been with a blood red string, marking them as enemies. The scathing remarks, the fire lashes, the water whips, had certainly proven that they had chosen the correct string.

As Zuko and Katara's meetings occurred less often and grew less hostile, the blood red faded, and the string that tied them together thinned.

Then it came back with vengence. In those catacombs in Ba Sing Se, their string turned blue. Blue for calmness, for friendship, and possibly something more. After the caves, it turned back to red. To a crimson, so vibrant that the spirits were afraid that the Avatar might be able to see it. But amongst the bright red, the strings were dotted with black. Mourning the loss of someone they both were trying to block from their minds.

At the Western Air Temple, Zuko's side of the string had turned back to blue, showing the hope that they could become friends. Katara's was still red. Though, somewhere along the way after they went to defeat Yon Rha, the strings turned a passionate violet. And when Zuko was struck by lightning, Katara's end of the string turned completely black. When he turned out alright, her end was a joyful yellow, joyful for defeating Azula, joyful for Zuko being alive, and joyful for the kiss they shared.

The last string that bound them together was not bestowed to them by the spirits. It was bestowed to them by the Fire Sages. A shimmering gold marriage string tied them together. Through the fights and the rows, their string stayed a rich violet, and it never turned back to blood red.


	6. Spark

**A/N; I know this is a bit late, and I didn't even finish Soothe, so sorry to anyone who was following the story...** **Disclaimer: I do not own avatar or any of the characters below**

Katara prowled along the edges of the forest, looking for something she could catch and finally settle her stomach with. She had taken care to sneak out and not wake anyone up. If Aang knew that she had been hunting, if he knew why she had to do this- that she was cutting down her rations, everyone's, actually, but mostly her's, to accommodate the extra mouths; Teo, The Duke, Haru, and Zuko.

Zuko. If he hadn't joined, maybe she wouldn't have to hunt in the middle of the night for food.

Katara was shook out of her thoughts as a chicken possum scurried along the edge of her vision. Creeping silently towards it, she was ready to end it with a sharp ice dagger to the throat when a spark killed the animal.

She knew who did this. The only firebender Toph had sensed for miles. Zuko.

He jumped down from his tree and started a campfire to cook the beast before turning to Katara.

"Would you like some too?" he asked politely. He had the nerve to ask her politely.

"I'd like all of it, but some of us," Katara yelled, "want the food even though they got a full ration of dinner! What's the matter? Not big enough meals for the prince?"

"If you haven't noticed, I've piled most of my food onto Aang and Toph's plate," Zuko said coolly, "and stop yelling, do you want to wake everyone up?"

"No..." she said, at a loss for words.

"Here," he said as he cut it in half, "I don't think this would be enough for both of us, and we'd probably catch more if we worked together."

Katara nodded to the proposition and started eating her share.

From then on, most nights, the two would work together, Katara with her ice daggers and Zuko with his sparks.


End file.
